We don’t own this life
Filed under Anecdotes
An opinion is not made to be owned. It exists merely for expression, and once let loose, it should be set free. And so I have learnt, that being opinionated may not be a flattering description if you struggle too much to hold on to that label – an opinion exists after all on planes of expressions, and expressions are whispering flutterbys that disappear with the soft sigh of a human breath. It is heard, said, and then *poof* it goes. The space for new opinions is created, and recreated.
A God, or God, doesn't exist to be owned. Like something that isn't or that is, He is pure existence, a gathering of possibilities or impossibilities. Like nothing, or something, He is pure words, or pure concept, there, but not there… But because we human beings cling on so tightly to our possessions, we fight to keep God, or our concepts of what a God is (or isn't) to our own realms and boxes of acceptability. When someone disagrees, we turn to what is essentially 'pure possibility' to dictate our inbuilt moral consciences, and define people who do not agree to our rights to possess God, as heretics. And so, wars.
A human being, isn't made to be owned. We exist purely because, and we all deserve our rights to be free. And so when I met him, and I decided I would do whatever it takes to keep him, I decided to cage him up and made sure he would behave the way that I, the owner, would allow him to, I did the biggest, and gravest mistake ever. He struggled, and he fought, and in the end, like a caged animal, he decided to escape from my clutches.
We come from nothing, we live with nothing, we will go into nothing. A long time ago, someone came into this world, and made a difference while he lived. It was either a 'good' difference, or a 'bad' difference, and either way, he made an imprint while he lived. And then, time was up, and like a breath caught in the wind, he was gone. We all have someone like that in our lives, or many people like that in our lives. My grandfather died when I was 13, and but while he lived, he made condensed milk sandwiches and watery Milo for my breakfasts and took us out on walks near that house in Pengkalan Chepa. Jesus came, he lived, he died, (then he lived again, and then he left); or earlier, Buddha came, said many things, then he was gone. Muhammad lived, and he was gone. And so shall we be gone. From nothing we came into existence, and so we will go into nothing. To live rich, is to accept that we own nothing.
I want to believe that this is not just pure rhetoric. But my mind tells me that this is true, I don't own a thing, not even the man I am marrying. Our relationship exists purely because we know we don't own each other – neither of us are possessions for each other to control, in the same way, I keep my sanity intact, because I know I don't own my opinions, my thoughts… my space must be constantly kept free for new ideas to come into being, and then they have to go away to give more place for new things to come in. All of this is temporary.
Time to move on.
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Jul30
July 30, 2008 at 11:00 am
well-written philosophical piece. mini i heart you.
July 30, 2008 at 11:40 am
Great post. Your posts are always so insightful and straight to the point.
July 30, 2008 at 12:26 pm
we do own this life… but not forever…
nothing is permanent in this universe…
things come and go like what you said…
this is the reality…
the difference is what we can achieve during the interval we still own our life..
July 30, 2008 at 12:26 pm
i am a bit lost there… too heavy for this morning, one which has been filled with scandals… hehe.
i like that part where u said Jesus came, live and rose again.
July 30, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Agreed. Agreed. And Agreed…..
July 30, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Boldly said!! But how true is it, really??
Opinions are not made to be owned, and blown away in the next breath?
Yet how many of us cling on to our hard-held opinions?
How many wars are fought over just that — opinions?
We dislike religious dogma — that’s an opinion that’s going to stay!
We dislike the idea of being owned — another firm opinion!
The list goes on….
Quite the contrary, I find opinions are among the stubbornest things on earth. Like it or not, when we hold on to these opinions, we are, in effect, owning it — and being owned by it in return!
July 31, 2008 at 8:43 am
agreed… i’m saying they’re not meant to be owned, but we want to own them anyway. just like how we will do just anything to cling to our possessions.
July 31, 2008 at 9:05 am
Yah, I don’t own opinions, or thoughts or my husband. But if he ever cheats on me, I’m going to introduce him to my scissors. That, I own.
hey, empowerment means, neither does your husband own you. *wink*
July 31, 2008 at 9:20 am
Yeah, attachment – sticky things huh.
We cling to people, stuff, ideas…. which is a bummer, as, like you very correctly said, these things that we cling to are not meant to be owned — and therein lies the problem.
Have a good one. Cheers!
July 31, 2008 at 7:45 pm
It gives us security ma, even if it’s just an illusion.
Especially with the things that we “created,” things that comes from us. Wonder if that has anything to do with being “created in the image of God.”
Most evident in cases where a biological father desperately trying to gain custody of a child from the biological mother. Especially when a child that are conceived through pre-marital sex and stuff. Why is the father so desperate over the kid, when you can just go and get another one with another woman? Don’t tell me you’ve developed emotional attachment, because from what I know, you’re not the one carrying the baby for the whole 9 months!
Can’t see the relevance? Nevermind then.
But then again, I’ve never seen a real life case. Prolly only happens in drama.
And don’t take the statement out of context, and saying that I condemn certain people. Yes, context is EVERYTHING!
July 31, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Quoted from Davors comment – “the difference is what we can achieve during the interval we still own our life..”
That is true to a certain extent. Most things everyone achieves is meaningless and done in the service of self interest. The only reason we make a meaning out of life is self interest and to impact the small circle of people of your own life.